


Upwards

by Dzuljeta



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Bad Wolf Bay, Bad Wolf Rose Tyler, Chance Meetings, F/M, Fluff, Illusions, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reunions, Romance, Time Lady Rose, other planets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-14
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-15 11:43:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11805306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dzuljeta/pseuds/Dzuljeta
Summary: On one of the trips Donna Noble insists they take, the Doctor finds Rose Tyler. That's when everything begins falling apart. Or doesn't it?





	1. Off We Go

**Author's Note:**

> BBC owns everything.

**Upwards**

**1\. Off We Go**

“All right, Donna. Whatever makes you happy,” the Doctor grumbled.

“I know nothing can make _you_ happy.” Not truly. “Still, I am hoping this would!”

The Time Lord gave her a forced smile. “If you say so.” His patience with her well-meant efforts was never-ending.

“I hope our agreement still stands,” he reminded her bitterly.

“Yes. You are allowed to do whatever with your time there. I am only allowed to follow you from a distance. In case you-”

“I won't be killing myself or hurting myself on intention. Someone would still need to bring you back home, and that would be me,” the alien spoke gravely.

* * *

 

The moment they have landed on a planet kindly suggested (or enforced on) to Donna by the TARDIS, the Doctor was momentarily stunned by its brightness and modernity. “Lovely choice,” he muttered, not meaning it. He did not know if the ginger companion has somehow got hold of some interplanetary encyclopaedia or a travel guide of some sort, but this has felt like something Donna Noble was going to enjoy. The planet was by no means threatening. In fact, it was going to acquire a title of pleasure planet in less than ten years' time.

The Doctor waved Donna away. “Go, have fun, explore. I'll meet you here in about two hours. If I take any longer, you are free to think your plan in getting me excited about something has succeeded.”

“What am I to do, if-”

“I'll find you,” he assured her, hurrying to move away from her and from anyone he knew as quickly as possible. At least there, he would be free to roam by himself.

Soon enough, he has stopped by an ice-cream stall to get himself something to fill his stomach – and his mind - with. The time he's spent trying to come up with a mostly illogical combination of flavours has proven too long even for the humanoid standing there and eyeing him – and the queue forming after him – warily. “Can I help you? Are you having difficulties?”

“As a matter of fact. Do you have a pen?”

“Yes. Why, are you up for beating Wolf's record?”

He gulped. “Why? What's the record you're talking about?”

The seller stared at him in surprise.

“I thought- Anyway. Are you buying, or would you rather wait for my shift to end, so I could tell you all about the record? And about whatever you'd like, gorgeous?”

The Time Lord shook his head, smiling at her tensely. On this particular planet, finding yourself an alien lover was considered a great achievement. “Maybe some other time.”

It was on times like these when he preferred having companions like Donna Noble nearby. One word of hers, or, rather, one look, would fight away any admirers.

“I'll be waiting,” she eyed him lustfully.

Once again, the Doctor has hurried to get away as soon as possible, avoiding any crowded places. No-one knew who he was, and yet, his loneliness must have been seeping throughout every cell of his body.

* * *

 

Soon enough, he has grown tired of the bland planet with no attractions worth trying... Or risking to. But going back too soon meant someone was going to flirt with him endlessly, or perhaps try to seduce him right away. Too bad shooing these beings away was only going to work for a short while. Then, another one would come to try its luck. He sighed heavily. Without a mate, one was doomed to fight these humanoids off forever while on this planet. Donna could never pass as his mate. Their relationship has been strictly platonic.

For a brief moment, the Doctor wondered how Donna was doing. She would certainly know how to deal with these nuisances.

Then, a majestic statue has caught his eye. A statue of Rose Tyler. In fact, the masterpiece looked less and less like a statue the more he looked at it.

Blinking his doubts away, the Time Lord has come closer. _Rose...._

“This is Wolf,” some woman (she looked just like an ordinary woman female, not like those with crazed amorous eyes he has had  the misfortune to meet there) has kindly spoken to him. Seeing the shock in his eyes, she giggled. “Don't worry, I don't need a mate. You are safe with me.”

The Doctor sighed in relief, fixing his adoring look back at the... statue. Yes. She was only a statue. It has only been his mind playing tricks on him.

“She is very beautiful, indeed!”

“Wolf, as in the animal?”

“I don't know what planet you are from,” the woman giggled kindly at him. “She is a figure from our legends, from fairy-tales. You are not the first one interested in the stories about her!”

“Yes. I enjoy legends. Tell me more about this Wolf?”

* * *

The following moment, he has found himself back in time. Stunned, the Doctor understood he was standing in the place of his nightmares - Dålig Ulv Stranden... And so was Rose Tyler. He did not have any time to think about this further, as Rose began to speak.

“I need to _know_ , Doctor. Tell me. It might be the very last time I see you. Just _tell_ me.”

The Time Lord knew exactly what she was talking about. Strangely, in this illusionary world, he was not a holographic projection any more. Hoping this illusion would last at least until he could actually reach for Rose and touch her, the Doctor has pulled her into a kiss instead.

 

The next thing Rose saw was the Doctor pacing to and fro anxiously. His blank expression turned into a sincere grin the moment he understood she was awake. “What have you done?” She remembered.

The Time Lord was much much more interested in seeing Rose Tyler in front of him than in the where and how.

“Er. Kissed you. Don't you remember?” _Rose..._

She remembered it all right. It was likely the kiss has transported them both somewhere else than to the place she has been hoping it would. “Should I?” Rose was trying to keep the unnecessary panic away from his mind.

“Well-”

The alien was still uncommonly confused. One thing has become clear to him during the not-so-brief kiss they have shared.

“Why haven't you _told_ me?” The Time Lord chose to address the things closest at hand first.

“Rose sighed at him heavily. Recreating and heavily altering the Bad Wolf Bay setting has taken much more strength from the TARDIS and herself than she thought possible. Yet the girl thought it best to avoid employing telepathic communication for the time being.

“Told you when?” she countered.“When all you could do was watch? You could have passed out from the shock, or something!”

“Who? I? I don't-”

She has enacted the supposed outcome anyway, her firm look never leaving his. “Just imagine. _“Oh, and by the way, I'm a Time Lady.”_ Then, you stand still, stunned... and disappear. Without even beginning to tell me- It wouldn't have worked, either way,” she smiled at him, only to finally read panic on his face.

“What about Donna?!”


	2. Meet Yourself

**Previously...**

_She has enacted the supposed outcome anyway, her firm look never leaving his. “Just imagine._ _“Oh, and by the way, I'm a Time Lady.”_ _Then, you stand still, stunned... and disappear. Without even beginning to tell me- It wouldn't have worked, either way,” she smiled at him, only to finally read panic on his face._

“ _What about Donna?!”_

 

**Upwards**

**2\. Meet Yourself  
**

 

“I'm pretty sure we'd find her close to where you'd left her,” Rose spoke soothingly. It seemed to the Doctor she knew more than she was saying.

“How do you know that?”

Rose understood his unease. Usually, the Doctor would take her words at face value. However, right now was not the time, with his companion somewhere he couldn't keep an eye on her.  
"Rest assured. Doctor, Donna's fine. I've left her chatting with some bloke. She looked excited," she smiled.

  
_ What?  _ "How do you know her?"

  
The girl was not yet ready to disclose the fact it has been quite a while for her to get used to the all kinds of Time Lord shenanigans, seeing various timelines included. It was only natural for her to run into Donna Noble at one time or other, because she has been connected to the Doctor.

"Let's go get her, all right?" The girl hurried to change the topic.

  
The Doctor eyed her curiously. She was so close, yet Rose has remained a mystery to him.

He has decided to address different things for the time being.

  
"What about the legends about you? I swear, I thought I was going crazy!"

  
"People want to believe in something. Allow them!"

"You mean you truly are behind this?" He looked at her teasingly. This could not be put past her.

“Some divine entity must have happened to have some features similar to mine, yeah?” Rose was growing uncomfortable. "We must fetch Donna, remember?"

He nodded, uneasy. Everything was either very simple or very complicated. The Doctor was leaning more towards the latter.

"Does Donna know who you are?"

  
"It depends on whether she's seen one of the statues already or not," Rose smiled.

"You mean she can only know you from-”

"We'll see," she giggled.

* * *

 

  
Donna's reaction was priceless. She stared at the couple with dread. "What have you done?! Have you just brought a bloody  _ statue  _ to life? A statue of a deity? What's  _ wrong  _ with you?" 

"Wouldn't be the first time," Rose's eyes lit up at the knowing grin on his face.

  
Donna shuddered. "She speaks."

The Doctor grabbed Rose by the hand without a word, looking at Donna assuringly. Having his fiery companion panicked was something he was not sure he could deal with.

  
"I am no deity," the Time Lady assured her, her expression equally calming.

Donna was on guard still. " _ Who _ are you?"

Rose looked at the Doctor instead, puzzling Donna further. "I am... Who am I?" Or how much was she allowed to tell?

He breathed out, addressing Rose. "You might not be a true deity, but you are that and so much more to me, love!"

The ginger froze mid-step. "Wait a second. Since when-"

  
"I'm Rose Tyler," the girl grinned sincerely. "You might have heard of me."

  
Donna stared at her, stunned. “You mean… You must truly be someone special to have statues of yours erected!”

“ Just my luck,” Rose blushed.

“ You can’t mean the Doctor’s behind this?” Donna was waiting for him to say a word.

“ Now that would be beyond silly,” he glared at her. “Rose has always been my goddess, but I did not take part in any of this.”

The redhead could see the Spaceman wasn't lying about one thing, at least. The adoring and expectant look in his eyes whenever his look met that of his beloved was speaking volumes.

“ I can see you two would rather be alone,” Donna noted. “Just get me aboard the TARDIS and you are free to do whatever.”

“ Sure thing, thanks, dear. But what I truly need is a shower,” Rose spoke carefully, unsure about the amount of details she has been ready to disclose about herself.

* * *

Unexpectedly, Donna grew excited. “The lovebirds that you are, you might even-”

Rose backed away involuntarily, shocked both about the woman’s bluntness and about the sudden ability to hear more things than she was ready for. It seemed some of her well-practised abilities of keeping the thoughts of others away from her mind have gone loose the moment the realisation of having the Time Lord close to her again has started to truly hit her. 

“ No!”

The Doctor glared at his human companion. “She’s right, Donna. You shouldn’t ever suggest 

something so dreadfully personal to strangers!”

It was Donna’s turn to get fiery. “Not reading minds, is it, Doctor?”

The Time Lord has had the decency to look apologetic. “Sorry.”

She wasn’t done yet. “Besides, your Rose is already hardly a stranger to me, the bloody statues aside!”

Her following words were meant for the fair-haired girl.

“ Whenever he’s found a reason, or just because he could, the Doctor has always ended up mentioning you in every conversation we had lately, Rose.”

“ Not in every one!” The alien objected meekly.

Donna was firm on her words. “Rose would say… Rose thought… Rose would love this! Need I go on?”

Instead of breaking into laughter, the fair-haired companion sighed heavily. “I can imagine,” she said.

“ Are you all right?” Donna asked, honestly worried. It has never been her wish to see the love of his life looking any other than beaming with excitement.

“I’m tired. But yes, I am ready to believe what you are saying is true,” she smiled. “The Doctor surely needs to have a serious talk with me.”

“What about?” It was impossible to say if the Doctor has remained this ignorant because he was used to their old ways or if he was afraid to return to the times neither of them wished to recall.

“About something I have never had the chance to hear from you. Or maybe you don't find it important?”

“Norway?” It was clear the Doctor has been keeping their dreadful goodbye locked up somewhere far inside his mind. Merely uttering this single word has made him tense.

“ _Dårlig ulv stranden_ , yes,” it seemed to Donna Rose was trying to make the alien uncomfortable... But she knew some secrets were only meant to stay between them and looked away.

 

 

 


	3. Possible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of my ongoing stories are now updated some time in 2018! (I usually do this check at least once during the year and it's only the beginning of September!)

**Previously...**

 

_ “Norway?” It was clear the Doctor has been keeping their dreadful goodbye locked up somewhere far inside his mind. Merely uttering this single word has made him tense. _

_ “ _ Dårlig ulv stranden _ , yes,” it seemed to Donna Rose was trying to make the alien uncomfortable... But she knew some secrets were only meant to stay between them and looked away. _

* * *

 

 

**Upwards**

**3\. Possible**

 

Donna could not hide her excitement. “I am so happy for the two of you,” she admitted, secretly hoping the Doctor and Rose were not going to begin snogging or even shagging there and then which, knowing of the Spaceman’s suppressed desires - because there was no way he was as insensitive as he might have tried to convince her… once - was not an impossibility.

Heck, she was the one implying she was expecting for something like that to happen between them! The redhead exhaled. “You must understand, when I was talking of the two of you wanting to get intimate right away, I didn’t mean-” She blushed. “You two were looking as if-”

The Doctor shrugged at her. “Whenever we… decide to proceed, yeah, you won’t be told. Deal?” The fiery and brave Donna, no matter what she has wanted everyone to believe,  wasn’t comfortable when addressing these things.

“Yes,” she sighed in relief. “That would be best. In fact, I think I’m going to catch a nap myself. The bloke I’ve been talking to has told me I was gorgeous… Until he understood I wasn’t someone willing to shag complete strangers,” Donna rolled her eyes. “That has made him say I was looking exhausted and had no idea whatever I was talking about. It seemed he was determined to wait for until I was well-rested and try his luck again then,” the redhead exhaled. “Thanks for coming to get me and saving me from having to come up with silly reasons and trying to be nice with people not deserving any of it, by the way. Thanks to both of you.”

“Don’t you  worry, Donna. This won’t happen again, unless you, like my gorgeous Rose here, keep wandering off!” The Doctor winked at both of them.

The ginger looked at them meaningfully. “Which is why I have implied it’s better for you two to stay together!”

The Time Lord exhaled. “It’s better for you not to have me being pensive more often that not. hm?”

“Exactly! I’d rather have you excited for no reason at all than have you, well, too lost in dark thoughts, Doctor.”

Rose smiled at him softly. “I, as a goddess, could forbid you to be sad,” she smirked.

“I see you in front of me and can think of no reason to be sad,” the alien spoke teasingly.

Donna cleared her throat. “ _ I  _ forbid you to be sad. Make use of your time together and, for Heaven’s sake, be happy!” She beamed at the couple. “I am off to take a nap. If, by the time I live my chamber, I see you no longer as excited as I do now, there will be consequences!”

The Doctor waved Donna off. “I have been thinking of one thing and one thing only whenever you smiled at me, Rose. A kiss not inside some fabricated, illusionary environment, but here and now. Could I?”

“Yes,” Rose breathed. “Please. But make it as intense and passionate as possible, yeah?”

The Time Lord beamed at her. “I’m sure our kisses are likely to always be like this from now on, m? If you wouldn’t grow tired of it soon, that is?”

“Try me?” Rose Tyler loved being thrown back into their incessant flirty conversations from day one, only this time, she knew it was only a matter of time before it was going to become something so much more between them. Whether Donna was on board with them or not.

“Your wish is my command, my love,” the Doctor wasn’t wasting time, loving the fact Rose has dived into the unfamiliar telepathy-coloured snogging without a doubt. Her almost unquestionable trust in him has never faltered, not once, it seemed. If there was anything of such intensity and depth he could give her in return, anything at all-

_ Don’t be daft, Doctor. _

The Time Lord blinked at her in surprise, never stopping the kiss. _ Rose. I thought you don’t - can’t- _

_ Is this a bad thing?  _ The young Time Lady was puzzled.

_ No! In fact-  _ The Doctor broke off the kiss. “This is…”

“Spectacular, yes! But you still owe me a kiss I have been expecting, Doctor,” Rose giggled. “What are you afraid of?”

“The only thing I am afraid of is losing you,” he spoke honestly. “What about me not being good enough? Making all kinds of unjustifiable decisions? Taking steps which-”

“Honestly, Doctor? You have kept doing all of that and more, I have been crying over your idiotic decisions at times and you know which ones these were... but there has never been anyone else I have been dreaming of, ever since Bad Wolf Bay, yeah?”

“The Time Lord looked at her apologetically. “I know. I’m sorry! At least I have never-”

“I know. Time Lady.”

The Gallifreyan nodded. “I still can’t see why you can and do somehow make use of your newly-discovered nature by sensing my or Donna’s emotions and making sure to make us feel more at ease, yes, but-”

“I avoid using telepathic communication, is this what worries you, Doctor?”

“Yes. Inborn telepathy is a gift so many races would give anything for. You didn’t back away when I have employed the skill during the snog, no, on the contrary! You were enjoying it, I could say!”

“Yes. But using it is dangerous. Could have cost me a lot, had people understood something was unusual about me. The pure hatred towards those not being like everyone else felt everywhere I went inside Pete’s World has left me blocking every attempt of telepathy… For my own safety, of course. 

Now, I don’t know how to let go of blocking it whenever my mind thinks it’s safer to keep it that way. “I’m terrified it won’t ever be as natural to me as it is supposed to,” Rose sighed.

The Doctor thought it best not to remind her of the  _ forbid to be sad  _ bit.

In fact, he knew just how to make telepathy a natural part of her again.


End file.
